The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day c14.s4.4

c14.s4.4

Let us now consider normal cases of partition and women's rights on such occasions. The Vedic literature occasionally refers to a partition made by the father during his life time¹; there is, however, nothing to indicate whether the wife used to receive a share on such occasions. Very probably, in spite of the general prejudice against allowing a share to women in inheritance, the father must have assigned an adequate share to his wife, if she were living at the time. In actual practice, the assigning of a share to the wife must have merely amounted to the patriarch reserving two shares for himself as against one assigned to each son. The wife probably got no independent control over it.